Sky has announced the launch of Sky Glass, its new smart TV that it intends to “dramatically simplify the way customers watch TV by integrating hardware, software and content”. Sky Glass will be the only smart TV with Sky natively integrated and will mark the first time in the UK that Sky TV has been made available without the need for a satellite dish and set-top box.
The new TV service is available to consumers from 18 October and will launch in Sky’s other European markets from 2022.
“Sky Glass is the streaming TV with Sky inside, providing the total integration of hardware, software and content. Built on over 30 years of understanding what our customers want, this is a TV that only Sky could make. We believe this is the smartest TV available, and that customers will love it,” said Dana Strong, Sky’s group chief executive at the launch event.
The TV comes with UHD and quantum dot technology (producing more than a billion colours), with a 10-bit HDR screen supporting HLG, HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Sky said it is also the first TV to be certified as a carbon neutral product.
Sky Glass also comes with far field voice and glance motion technology, meaning that consumers can turn on the TV with voice command or via proximity to the set. As well as Sky TV, the set comes with apps such as BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Disney+, ITV Hub, All4, Spotify, Peloton, and PlayWorks.
Sky explained that Sky Glass has been built as a platform which can be deployed by other Telco and subscription television operators. “Sky today announces the Foxtel Group, Australia’s leading subscription TV company as its first Sky Glass syndication partner. Sky Glass will launch in the Australian market as an element of the Foxtel Group’s future roadmap for its Foxtel brand and will contain both Foxtel and third-party content. This is the first of many collaborations as Sky Glass is scaled across the globe,” the company said in a statement.
Sky said it will launch a new high spec 4K smart camera in 2022 to work with Sky Glass that will help to “transform how we chat, play games, workout and share entertainment at home”. Also next year, Sky said that its Sky Q offering will be available on Sky Glass.
